


Ten Duel Commandments

by ienablu



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Jaeger Academy, Ranger culture, Shatterdome Culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 02:39:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5480177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ienablu/pseuds/ienablu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The challenge: demand satisfaction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Duel Commandments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hauntedjaeger (saellys)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saellys/gifts).



> This story is written for an audience familiar with the Hamilton soundtrack, especially the song of the same name. For those that wish to become familiar, the recording can be listened to [ here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS79uxNFoHw), and the lyrics can be read [here](http://genius.com/Lin-manuel-miranda-ten-duel-commandments-lyrics).
> 
> To hauntedjaeger: I have done my best to fulfill as many of your prompts as possible while keeping the story cohesive. I hope you enjoy this.

You're on your way back to your bunk – it's only noon, but you had been up all night working on Professor Hino’s mathematical problems, and you want a nap before combat training – when you see a line of fellow cadets hustle pass you. You raise an eyebrow, and hope one will take the silent question.

"Hansen and Mori are at it again," one cadet tells you.

You are in your first semester at the Jaeger Academy, but it's enough time for you to have only one question: "And this is new how?”

"No, like, they may end up brawling in the middle of the caf. People are betting Mori is going to throw the first punch.”

Arguing is par for the course for the two golden children of the Jaeger Academy, but an actual conflict, actual _fighting_ , is not. You turn and follow along.

You miss what Mori says, but you hear the _ooooh_.

Hansen replies, “Really?” 

 

––––– 1

"Take it back," Mako tells him.

Chuck just gives her an ugly smirk.

 

––––– 2

Yuuki is in her room, lying prone on her bunk. She has her legs lifted up, going through a cycling exercise she had watched online. She’s playing her old-school DS is currently on the hardest level of her game, trying to see what record she can set for the quickest take-down of a boss.

There's a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she calls, not looking up from her game. She's talked to a few of the pilots, and being able to multitask is vital to being able to succeed in the Drift. She has always been good at compartmentalizing and multitasking, and she’s managed to balance physical exercise with mental exercise with outside interaction.

The door opens, and Mako comes in.

"Hey, Mako," Yuuki greets.

"Will you be my second?"

 _Don’t chase the RABIT_ , Yuuki thinks, stupidly, to herself. She keeps her legs working, keeps her attention on the battle on the screen. “What happened?”

“Chuck,” Mako says.

“Ah. Did you challenge or did he?”

“I did.”

“What did he do?”

“Something he should apologize for.”

Mako does not evade. Yuuki slows her leg stretches, and pauses her game. “What did he do?” she repeats.

“He–”

Mako does not cut herself off. She does not lower her head. Yuuki sets her game to the side, and pushes herself up to sitting. “Mako?” Yuuki asks, concern growing. “What did he do?”

Mako raises her head and looks Yuuki in the eye. “He insulted Marshal Pentecost.”

 

––––– 3

There are a few options of who Chuck would take as his second. They are all arrogant douchebags, and all arrogant douchebags congregate in the caf at the same table.

Chuck is amongst them, and Yuuki gives him her best level glare, before looking around the group of arrogant douchebags. "Who do I need to talk to?" she asks, holding her head high, staring around them all.

One of them – indistinguishable from all the rest, really – stands up, and gives her a wide smirk.

"Name's Donnie," he says. "Care to go for a stroll?"

Yuuki gives him a thin grin, and then turns on her heel and leads him out of the caf. From what Mako told her, the argument drew quite some attention. Negotiating Chuck’s second to have Chuck call off the duel is going to take time, and Yuuki would prefer not to have an audience.

When they are 

“Chuck needs to apologize.”

“Chuck is not going to apologize.”

"There is no reason for him to mouth off against Marshal Pentecost," Yuuki says.

"Marshal Pentecost–”

"Saved Tokyo single-handedly," Yuuki says. She knows. She was there. "If nothing else, you should understand why Mori is defensive over him. Think about how you would feel if someone talked shit about Herc Hansen.”

“There’s no reason for anyone to talk shit about Herc. He’s a damn good pilot, and he ain’t making any piss-poor calls.”

Yuuki feels her pulse pick up. She maintains a level gaze, keeps her voice level as she asks, “And Marshal Pentecost?”

"Pentecost was a great pilot. He just ain't making all the right calls that he should be, and me and Hansen agree on that. No apology."

Duels of honor amongst cadets are rare – the stipulation that the loser has to withdraw from candidacy to piloting acts as an effective deterrence. There have not been any instances of a second challenging a second to a duel.

Yuuki considers whether it’s a record she wants to set. She takes a deep breath in, lets a deep breath out. “I’ll meet you at the second gym in an hour. You talk to the medic,” she tells him, before walking off.

 

––––– 4

Donnie doesn’t want to talk to the medic, but talking shit about the Ranger who saved someone’s city is bad form, and he can tell that he hasn’t exactly endeared him to Yuuki, and he didn’t want to push the issue.

Jozef Rawlings is… a little weird. Like most of the people in the science divisions are at least a weird. K-Science draws the weirder of the two, but the engineers and mathematical genius and neuroscientists are also pretty out there.

Donnie finds Jozef in the labs. One of the K-Science classes is going on, and Donnie draws a few looks as he slips into the room, but he’s learned to ignore the K-Scientists over the semesters.

“Jozef, right?”

“I don’t know you, do I?”

Donnie shakes his head. “Donnie Brown,” he introduces, holding his hand out.

“I don’t like touching people,” Jozef replies. “It is very nice to meet you. Sorry, I am not good with faces.”

Donnie lowers his hand. “It’s no problem. Listen, my mate got himself challenged to a duel, and we need you as our doctor.”

“I have a doctorate, but I am not a medic.”

“But you’re still the highest-ranking scientist here.” The duel only uses hanbo, and the worst outcome – other than having to drop from the Academy – is a few bruised ribs, and Donnie thinks the idea of needing a medic is outdated. But someone thought it was a good idea, it became tradition, and Donnie isn’t going to argue that.

“You are aware that Marshal Lexington greatly frowns upon these duels of honor?” Jozef asks, frowning.

“Yeah, but any blowback is directed at the duellers, not the medic.”

Jozef stares at Donnie for a long minute. "What was said to merit the challenge?"

“It’s better if you have some degree of deniability,” Donnie tells him. 

He frowns.

Donnie runs through the conversation, then asks, “Will you please be our medic?”

Jozef sighs. “Where and when?”

“Me and the other second haven’t officially decided, but I’ll let you know.”

 

––––– 5

The idea of a intra-cadet sparring match is allowed when taking place in the Kwoon room, but frowned up greatly by Headmaster Lexington otherwise.

So for matters of honor, the place for the duel changes match by match. It’s bitterly cold outside, which rules out the numerous surveillance blindspots. There are still a growing number of areas inside that have their own surveillance blindspots; money isn’t coming into the PPDC as quickly as it once was, and more and more of it is being funneled to new jaegers, less so to the Academy.

Which means that the second gym – which, of the six gyms at the Academy, technically does not rank as second in any criteria – has not repaired any of its waning surveillance equipment.

"What time?" Yuuki asks, as she walks the perimeter. "These traditionally happen at sunrise, if you can haul Hansen's ass out of bed."

Donnie snorts, but his gaze is harsh as he says, "Don't worry about Hansen. Just because he likes to sleep in doesn't mean that he isn't as disciplined as any other Ranger."

"He's not a Ranger yet," Yuuki says, just as harshly. And if the rumors about what Scott did are true, Yuuki doesn't know if she wants another Ranger Hansen.

There is little else to be said. Other than Donnie’s departing, “See you tomorrow.”

 

––––– 6

Tomorrow comes too fast for Donnie’s taste.

“There’s no official rules about any of this,” he tells Chuck, as he watches him go through warm-up stretches.

Chuck snorts. “Yeah, and?”

“It’s not official that you have to bow out of the pilot track if you lose the duel,” Donnie says.

Chuck scoffs. “I’m not losing to Mori.”

“It’s still good form to leave a note for your would-be or would-have-been co-pilot.”

“The fuck do you need me to say?”

 

––––– 7

“You don’t regret what you’re doing, do you?” Donnie asks.

“What the fuck do you think?” Chuck snaps back.

Donnie has never Drifted with Chuck – showing negative side effects of multiple Drifts, especially with multiple partners, Drift simulations have become jaeger simulations, more concerned with the mechanics of piloting and combating – and he has the sick feeling he never will. But despite not knowing Chuck that way, Donnie thinks _yes_.

But if Chuck won’t say it, Donnie won’t either.

 

––––– 8

Donnie and Yuuki meet in the middle.

“Last chance,” Yuuki says. “Back down.”

“Why isn’t Mori backing down an option?”

“Because Mori is not in the wrong here.”

“Well, Chuck isn’t either.”

Retorts raise like bile in Yuuki’s throat. “Alright.”

 

––––– 9

Over the years, the method for duelling has changed.

From was single combat with hanbo until one combatant yielded, it is now something between fencing and battojutsu.

Settle into position.

Go through the motion of unsheathing the hanbo.

First touch wins.

 

–––– 10

He gives out a cry of pain as he goes down.

She is satisfied.

 

_rewind_

 

_rewind_

  

_rewind_  
_(wind)_  
_(wind)_  
_(wind)_

 

––––– 0

Mako meets Chuck when she is ten and he is eleven.

 

–––- 0.1

They only see each other fleeting for the first few years – Chuck stays with his dad in Sydney, Mako travels with Sensei around the Shatterdomes. But Sensei likes Sydney, and as time goes on, Mako and Chuck see each other more and more.

 

–––- 0.2

"What's it like, having the Marshal as your dad?" Chuck asks, years in.

Mako shrugs. "I do not like it known," she says. "I am afraid that it would appear that he was showing me favoritism."

Chuck snorts. "Anyone who's anyone who knows anything should know that you're one of the best candidates here, as well as one of the hardest workers. There's no favoritism."

Mako smiles. "Thank you, Chuck," she tells him. She's quiet a few minutes longer. "It's difficult, at times," she says. "He travels a lot, and when I would have to go with him, it was tiring. And he was tired himself. It was not always pleasant. But when I started to have a say in whether or not I would go with him, it got more pleasant. And Sensei is a very good father."

Chuck looks away from her, down the hall they're sitting at the end at. "Sounds nice," he says.

"In the end, yes." Mako is quiet for a few moments. "On Sundays, he insists that we have dinner together. He should be arriving this weekend, were you interested in dining with us." She feels heat in her cheeks, and she hopes that Chuck does not see it.

“Asking me to meet your parent already, Mori?” Chuck asks. His grin is wide, but he seems genuinely pleased. “Usually there are a few dates before that happens.”

She shoulders him.

 

–––- 0.5

“I think we could do it, you know?” Chuck asks.

Mako turns around to look at him. "Do what?" she asks, as she clasps her bra on behind her.

"Pilot," Chuck says.

"Of course," Mako says, her conviction strong as iron. She is going to pilot a jaeger. She looks around for her shirt. "We are both training, we are both the two highest-ranked cadets here. Of course we're going to be pilots."

"Yeah," Chuck says. "But I think we could do it, together, you know?"

Mako stills, and turns to look at him once more. "You want to pilot a jaeger with me?" she asks. She has spent the past hour in a number of positions with Chuck, he has seen every inch of her and she has seen every inch of him, but this, _this_ is the first moment of intimacy between them.

Chuck’s face is turning a shade of pink. "It just seems reasonable, doesn’t it? You ‘n’ me, we’re the two highest ranking cadets in the Academy, we’ve been best friends since we were young, we’ve got this in the bag."

Mako has Yuuki, Chuck has any number of fellow Australian candidates. She knows jaeger pilots can be made close by sexual relationships. She also knows that jaeger pilots can be made close by other bonds. "Do you want to trial in the Kwoon?"

"If we’re looking to test compatibility, we don’t really need to leave this room now, do we?”

Mako just rolls her eyes. She finally finds her shirt, and pulls it on. “I’ll see you in class,” she tells him.

 

–––- 0.8

They squabble.

 

–––- 0.85

A lot.

 

–––- 0.9

The squabbling turns to arguing.

 

––- 0.91

Answers to Professor Hino’s homework.

 

––- 0.92

Proper form in combat class.

 

––- 0.93

Whether or not Professor Bullard knows what he’s talking about.

 

––- 0.94

Whether or not to sign up for a simulation.

 

––- 0.95

Which Shatterdome they’d be stationed at.

 

––- 0.96

Whether Sydney or Tokyo was better.

 

––- 0.97

Who had a better men’s football team, back when the World Cup was still played.

 

––- 0.98

If Mammoth Apostle was the correct choice to finalize the Mark-4 line-up. 

 

––- 0.99

The state of the PPDC.

 

–- 0.999

Mako frowns. “There is nothing wrong with the PPDC.”

Chuck snorts. “Like hell there isn’t.”

“There _isn’t._ ”

“Yeah? Then why’re there no more jaegers in production? Why is money drying up? The PPDC is falling, and Pentecost–”

“He has done nothing wrong,” Mako says, voice going sharp. She stares at Chuck, and hopes he gets it. This is nothing they will argue about. This crosses a line. He should understand that. He should know that.

He doesn’t. “Pentecost is the reason for it, with all this shit decisions he’s made.”

"Take it back," Mako says. It comes out louder than intended, angrier than intended. Her hands ball into fists at her side.

Heads turn to look at them. Most of the attention shifts to Chuck.

"Not gonna happen," he says.

"Take it back," Mako repeats, voice lower. They’re drawing a crowd. Mako doesn’t want a crowd, doesn’t want anyone to hear Chuck rake Sensei through the mud.

"Why should I? It's the Marshal that's gotten us into this mess, it's–"

"If you don't take it back," Mako starts.

"You'll what, go and report me?"

"I challenge you to a duel."

That gets a collective _ooooh_ from the crowd that has garnered.

"Really?" Chuck asks.

 

––––– 1

"Take it back," Mako tells him.

Chuck just gives her an ugly smirk.

 

––––– 2

Yuuki is on her bunk, working on her multitasking exercises.

Mako wishes she would turn her game off, wishes she could ask her to turn her game off.

Words don't come easily. She almost chokes on Chuck’s name. “He–” _insulted Sensei_ , she thinks, and tears burn in her eyes. She kept her composure in the hallway, and she doesn’t want Yuuki to see her break her composure now. She lowers her head, lets the grief and anger show on her face. 

“Mako? What did he do?”

Mako looks up. It takes a moment for her to find her voice before she can say, “He insulted Marshal Pentecost.”

 

––––– 3

Yuuki goes to talk with Donnie.

Chuck won't back down, is too proud to back down.

Mako refuses to back down. Sensei has mentioned very little about what is going on behind the scenes (there's a new jaeger, the best there is, in its own class, and that's good), but Mako can read between the lines.

Things are not good.

Her hands start to tremble with anger again.

She doesn't ask Chuck to reconsider, to settle.

Instead, what she ends up sending him is a _FUCK YOU_.

 

––––– 4

Yuuki comes back, and Mako can tell from the line of her shoulders that she is pissed.

“I wanted to punch him in the face.”

“Which one?”

Yuuki snorts, and returns to her bunk.

 

––––– 5

An hour later, Yuuki leaves.

Fifteen minutes after, she returns.

The second gym, sunrise.

Mako goes to bed earlier than normal, wakes up earlier than normal.

 

––––– 6

“If I get dismissed,” Mako starts, then hesitates.

“You won’t,” Yuuki tells her. “We’ll still get to pilot together.”

Mako is more convinced of the former than of the latter.

 

––––– 7

Before they started sleeping together, Mako’s heartbeat used to pick up when she saw Chuck.

It does again, now, for an entirely different reason.

(And perhaps a bit of the former.)

 

––––– 8

Yuuki and Donnie do not talk for long.

Mako and Chuck spend the entire time staring at each other.

 

––––– 9

They walk towards each other, each stopping ten paces from the center marker.

They settle into their stances.

 

–––– 10

He gives out a cry of pain as he goes down.

She is satisfied.

–

Cheers erupt.

And are quickly silenced.

Mako turns around.

Sensei is standing in the doorway.

He looks livid.

"Mori, Hansen, my office, now."

Chuck pushes himself to his knees, and lets out a groan. Donnie hurries over to him, and sets a hand on his shoulder. To Sensei, he says, "Sir, I'm afraid Ranger Hansen–"

"He's not a Ranger yet," Sensei says, voice sharp.

“He– he needs to be checked by the medic.”

“I’m fine,” Chuck says, but it’s thin.

“As soon as you have been cleared by Cadet Rawlings, meet me inside.”

“Yessir,” Chuck says, teeth grit.

“Cadet Mori, with me.”

Mako holds her head high, and starts following him. No matter how many steps she takes, it feels like she's walking down an unending hallway, and that she's making no progress. The feeling ends abruptly as she passes through the door to his office.

“Close the door, please, Cadet Mori.”

Mako does so.

He walks around to his desk, and settles in his chair. “You are welcome to have a seat.”

She takes a few steps forward, lowers herself onto the chair. She bites her bottom lip, but forces herself to stay strong.

"Mako," Sensei says, after a long minute, "what were you thinking?"

"He insulted you, Sensei."

"That does not matter."

"He was implying that the recent losses have been because of your poor decision making. They haven't been, and he refused to admit he was wrong."

"That doesn’t matter. He is wrong, yes. But he is a Hansen, and they are all notorious for refusing to see it, or to admit it."

"I needed to defend you."

"No. I do not need to be defended by you. If Chuck had any complaints, you should have directed him to me, and I would have discussed them with him.”

"He would have refused.”

“You should have sought it out as option.”

“He doesn’t respect you, he doesn’t respect what you have done.”

“I have dealt with far worse.”

“He was blaming you for everything, he was insulting you–” 

"Mako, it concerns me that you have not seen the error in what you have done."

"I made no error."

Sensei looks disappointed.

Shame burns on Mako’s cheeks.

There’s a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

The door opens, and Chuck shuffles in. He throws himself into the other chair before Sensei can invite him to, and Sensei’s mouth tightens.

Mako glares at Chuck harder.

Chuck meets her glare, and then directs it at Sensei.

Mako should have just beat Chuck up in the caf.

Sensei lets out a sigh. “As you both know, Scott has been dismissed from the PPDC this past week.”

Mako nods. Chuck’s jaw tightens.

“As a result, we have been left with an open ranger slot.”

Mako stares at Sensei in dawning horror.

Sensei turns to Chuck. “Your father is a seasoned ranger with an impressive track record, that helped lay the foundation for what the PPDC is today. We are looking to keep him an active ranger. And it’s been made evident that he Drifts well with members of his family.”

“You mean…” Chuck says, as if he can barely understand it himself. “I thought Lucky was being decommissioned.”

It is.

Mako’s stomach twists.

Chuck gets the new jaeger.

This isn’t fair.

Sensei is quiet a long minute. He does not look at Mako. He tells Chuck, “We are to fly to Sydney tomorrow, so that you and Herc can go through a Drift trial-run. Depending on the outcome, there are a few available options.”

Chuck just stares at Sensei for a moment longer, then he turns to Mako, and opens his mouth.

“Dismissed,” Sensei says, voice sharp.

Chuck gets the message, and closes his mouth. He rises to his feet, wincing as he does so, and he shuffles out of the door.

Quiet reigns between Mako and Sensei.

“Cadet culture came after I was already a Ranger,” he says, finally. “And so I can make no claim to understand it. But I do understand that the loser of any duels is to withdraw their candidacy. And I understand that this must be difficult for you, Mako.”

Mako blinks to clear her vision of tears.

“I am sorry.”

“Permission to be dismissed?”

Sensei sighs, and looks genuinely apologetic. “Granted.”

Mako starts back to her quarters, satisfaction fading with every step.


End file.
